


Gotham Nine Nine

by A_Marlene_S, LadyLucina28



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Can't stop it now, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Detectives, F/M, Gen, It leaks through, NO BETA WE DIE LIKE HEROES, Slow Burn, brooklyn nine nine au, hopefully, ml salt, police work, well kinda slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2020-12-17 15:30:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21056696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Marlene_S/pseuds/A_Marlene_S, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyLucina28/pseuds/LadyLucina28
Summary: BROOKLYN NINE-NINE AU!Detective Marinette Dupain-Cheng, an aspiring detective from Paris, known to be one of the best. That changes when she decided to transfer once things in her old precinct have become too bad for her thanks to the manipulations of a crooked lawyer. Can Marinette turn a new leaf in Gotham or will her past hold her back?





	1. Meet the new Detective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I be writing a new fic when I have other WIPs needed to be updated? No. But will I do it? Yes. I've been dragged into the MariBat side of the fandom kicking and screaming, so now I am in free fall especially when it comes to this new ship and this will be the hill I will die on.

It was a normal day in 99th police precinct in Gotham, police bustling around doing work. The same could be said with the fourth floor of the precinct where the ambience of the Bullpen was interrupted with a shout from a black and white haired man, Jason Todd, Sergeant of the 99th Police Precinct in Gotham.

“Guess who has two thumbs and just caught the slippery bastard who has been stealing from bodegas?” He asked with a gleeful grin on his face before he pointed to himself “THIS GUY!”

A younger man, Damian Wayne followed him as he rolled his eyes at his boisterous partner. “Don’t forget me, Todd. If I hadn’t noticed the pattern, we wouldn’t have caught them.”

“Do you just like ruining my fun, Demon Spawn?” He replied with a dramatic eye roll as he pushed the perps in the Holding Cell

“When you learn when to behave then maybe I’ll consider not doing so.” He shot back

Before the two could escalate the argument, their Lieutenant Dick Grayson walked out of the Briefing Room and shouted. “Everyone, Briefing Room, now!”

Confused murmurings of the employees filled the room as they shuffled in the Briefing Room. Which became louder when they saw it was only Dick in front.

“Hey Grayson, where’s the Captain? And what with the surprise meeting?” Jason asked walking inside and sitting with Stephanie Brown while Barbara Gordon and Kori Anders were in front of them and Tim Drake and Damian were sitting on the table next to her.

The black and white haired man pushed back his bangs as he was balanced the chair on its hind legs and placed his legs on the table before is desk mate slapped his legs off the table.

Dick sighed and rolled his eyes at Jason’s behaviour and answered “Captain Gordon just ordered me to get everyone here. He said he has an announcement to make.”

“I heard that we might be getting a new detective with us.” Steph said, perking up everyone’s attention.

“Wanna bet they’re gonna be like Grayson or maybe like the Demon Spawn over there.” Jason snickered behind is hand

Dick sighed again while Damian seemed content with ignoring the man as he lounged in his chair, bored.

Speak of the Devil, Captain Gordon walked in with a short woman behind him. Dick moved as the Captain took his place in front where everyone can see the newcomer. She was short with black hair tied in a bun and bluebell eyes, she was wearing a pantsuit, fiddling with the box in her hands. She seemed very nervous despite the smile on her face.

“Everyone meet our new detective, Detective Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She just transferred from Paris and decided to work here with us thanks to a recommendation from one of the higher ups.”

Gordon stepped back to let Marinette step forward with a nervous smile. “It’s nice to meet everyone! I hope to be able to help around here!”

“Awww you’re adorable.” Stephanie cooed

“Brown’s right, Short-stack here is pretty cute.” Jason winked at Marinette, who blushed in response.

“Grayson, you’ll be showing her around the precinct and assigning her to the desk next to Barb.” He ordered, nodding to Dick before he turned to the others. “To welcome Detective Dupain-Cheng, we’ll be assigning her with your case Drake.” Tim blinked in surprise before nodding back. “Now with that done, dismissed!”

The officers shuffled out of the Briefing Room. Dick walked up to Marinette with a welcoming smile.

“Marinette, I’m Dick Grayson, you’re Lieutenant. I’ll show you to your desk so you can settle your things before we start the tour.” He greeted her before gesturing her to follow him

“O-Of course!” She answered, following his stride.

The pair walked to an empty desk adjacent to Barbra, who gave Marinette a smile of her own. 

“Marinette, this is Barbara Gordon, the daughter of our Captain and one of the Sergeants in the Precinct.” He introduced as Barbra gave a “Hey” and shot out her hand for a shake.

Marinette carefully placed her things on the table before shaking Barbra’s hand.

“Nice to meet you, sweetheart.” Barbara said sweetly before her voice drops into a conspiratorial whisper. “Don’t be afraid of big ol’ Dick over there. He’s the sweetest one of the guys, trust me.”

Marinette giggled and nodded, “I’ll take your word for it.”

She turned back to Dick and smiled. “Ready when you are.”


	2. Introductions should be in order

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this???? An update???? So quick too??? Have fun with this update!

“And that’s the whole precinct,” Dick concluded the tour as the two entered the elevator and Marinette finished her notes in her small notepad for her to remember. This was a new precinct and Marinette was determined not to mess this up. “So any questions?”

“So uhh… What are the rest of the detective squad like?” Marinette asked curiously as she fiddled with her hands. “Especially Tim, since you know I will be working a case with him according to the Captain and I don’t want to accidentally make him hate me by doing something he doesn’t like…”

While she had dealt with different kinds of officers when she was a Detective in Paris, she was still unsure what to feel with the officers in Gotham. It was a bit of whiplash for her as they seemed more serious here than the ones in Paris. Granted Gotham is infamous for its crimes so it’s a given that their police force would be more dedicated and focused in their jobs than Parisian police.

Dick grinned, patting her back as the elevator dinged and opened its doors to their floor. “Every newbie’s favourite question. Follow me to the Break Room and I can give you the rundown of this circus.”

Marinette and Dick entered the break room, he walked to the window as he peeked through the blinds and gestured for her to do the same. She was confused but went along with it.

“Okay so you might want to take notes…” Dick began as Marinette readied her small notepad and a pen.

He pointed to a man with the white stripes in the hair and red jacket. he was typing something with his computer before he began smacking it repeatedly as if that would make it work faster. “That’s Jason Todd, one of the Sergeants, he may be rude, crude, and rough around the edges but he’s a good guy deep down. He’s a hothead so when you’re partnered with him, be sure to be the voice of reason.”

He pointed to her desk mate, a beautiful redhead, doing paperwork while occasionally looking up at Jason and rolling her eyes. “Next up Barbara Gordon, the niece of our Captain and the other Sergeant alongside Jason. She’s one hell of a techie but not as good as Tim and she has an eye for detail. I can already tell you and her would be great friends.”

He gestured to black haired male, probably around her age, who was at the kitchen trying to make a cup of coffee before another redhead walks in taking it from him and seemed to be berating him. “Tim Drake, your partner for this case, he can be know-it-all, prideful, and very irritable without coffee. He is one hell of a Detective and one of the smartest people I know but don’t tell him I said that.”

Then Marinette noticed how Dick’s gaze softened as he watched the redhead scold Tim before handing back his coffee. “That’s Kori, my wife and the Civil Administrator. She can be a bit like a mother hen to the others but very enthusiastic whenever she meets anyone new.”

He nudged her to look at a pretty blonde haired girl who was giggling at how Tim was scolded before he threw her an annoyed look and sipped his coffee. “Stephanie Brown, one of the most spunky girls I know. She’s a bit of a tease and like messing with people but don’t worry she knows her limits and knows when a joke is taken too far. But be careful, she’s a lot smarter than she looks.”

Then he pointed to another black haired male, sitting in his chair as he polished a katana… Okay so not the weirdest thing she’d seen. One of her best friends used to do that but with a sabre. “And finally Damian Wayne, a rising Corporal and trying to move up the ranks. Damian can be described as almost as bad as Jason personality wise but where Jason’s an ass because he feels like it. Damian is more of how he is and while he can appear disinterested and even angry at you when interacting, rest assured that’s how he normally looks. Secretly he has a soft spot for animals, especially for his dog, Titus.”

Marinette furiously scribbled in her notepad before turning to Dick. “And what about you? How would you describe yourself?” She waved her hands in front of her as she frantically added in. “If you want to that is!”

Dick chuckled. “Me? Well if I have to, I would say I’m the person trying to keep from everyone from killing each other while the Captain’s out. Devilishly handsome.” She giggled and he grinned back, amused. “And charismatic family man with a wonderful wife and kids.”

“Awww how adorable~” She cooed before finishing the last of her notes and a sigh escaping her lips.

Dick patted Marinette’s head, mindful of the bun that she so meticulously worked on this morning as she playfully shoved him away.

“Don’t be so nervous, Marinette. The others may seem scary but after a while you’ll see that we’re all lunatics who somehow got jobs as cops.” He said reassuringly.

She smiled at him before looking down, her good mood disappearing. “Sorry it’s just… It’s been a rough few months.” Understatement of the century. She hasn’t felt this drained since that stakeout to root out a crook calling himself, Mr. Pigeon. “With my parents and I moving here and settling down then suddenly finding a job as a detective again, thanks to my mentor. It feels so fast for me.”

Dick gave her a sympathetic expression before placing his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Marinette. I know how that feels where your life just changed almost too quickly for you to catch up. Things will get better, I promise you.”

Marinette sniffed before wiping away unshed tears. No. No crying. _‘You are confident, You are strong, You are Marinette Dupain-Cheng.’_ She chanted the mantra. She shook her head and gave a slight chuckle. “Sorry, I didn’t intend to dump my problems on you and we just met too and you’re my superior officer! Ugggh.. You must think I’m unprofessional!”

“Hey now, no harm done! It’s been an emotionally trying few months for you,” He reassured her, squeezing her shoulder. “You know what always makes me feel better? Working a case. If I remember right, you, little lady have a case to do.”

She shakes her head with a small smile. That’s right. She was assigned a case! No need for tears right now. It’s time to get her head in the game and go back to doing what she’s good at. Solving a case and putting crooks in jail! “Right! I’ll start it with Tim right away!”

She was about to walk up to Tim to get started on the case when Dick called out. “Fix your desk first!”

“After fixing my desk!” She said turning her heel and walked up to her desk. She gave a small smile to Barbara to which she returned before getting back to work. She turned her attention to the box she brought.

It was a box of things she would need to settle in the precinct. There were regular office supplies with backups of course because you never know when you might run out or if someone needs to borrow something, some personal knickknacks such as pictures of her parents, mentor, and beloved cat, Tikki, and finally a box of donuts from her parents’ new bakery near the precinct.

“Oh? Those smell good!” Barbara leaned in to look at the box of donuts. “Huh. I haven’t seen this brand before.”

“These are from a new bakery near the precinct ran by my parents.” She answered with a smile. The smell of the donuts calmed her down, smells just like home. “You want one? They always taste better with some homemade tea.”

“Of course!” Barbara grinned up at Marinette. She internally danced as she seemed to be getting along with her desk mate. “While we’re at it, we can get to know each other.”

“Two cups of Spiced Apple Herbal Tea to go with the donuts, coming right up!” She announced with a two finger salute before heading to the kitchen.

* * *

Tim groaned from the report he was reading as he flopped it on his desk. He sipped his coffee, he can feel Kori’s eyes on him. He knew it was his sixth coffee. Did he care? No. No, he did not. He needed the extra caffeine to survive the day since he pulled another all night and especially since he’s partnered with the new detective for this new case. So he deserves his damn coffee.

He set down his coffee and prepared his notes about the latest case so he can share and study them with Dupain-Cheng. He’s not sure about her work ethic and how she does her investigating but better to be safe than sorry. There’s a reason why the Captain assigns new detectives to him. He’s easy enough to work with and makes sure they don’t mess up.

As he was going over his notes and highlighting important parts that he’ll go over with Duapin-Cheng, he smelled something...new. He sniffed again, are those donuts?

Tim's nose lead him to the empty desk that was adjacent to Barbara who was watching him very curiously. Eyes close at the tantalizing smell, it was nothing he ever smelled before.

"Tim, you're scaring the new detective." He heard Barbara say before he opened his eyes and jumped away from the desk as he realized that Dupain-Cheng was staring at him both amused and curious while holding two cups of tea. He can hear his brothers snickering behind him with Steph giggling. Dammit, Tim. This is not how you make a good impression on a new detective!

“Uhh… Sorry, I just smelled donuts and they smelled really great. I don’t know what came over me, I guess I got… hungry…?” He stuttered out, he can feel the heat crawling up his cheeks. Good work, Drake.

The new detective giggled as she set down the two cups of tea on her desk as she handed him a donut. “Well I can’t let my partner get hungry when we have to work on a case.”

He can feel his mouth water as he picked up the donut. “Of course, thanks.” He bit into it and good lord, it tasted really good. But control, try to control yourself, Timothy. “Speaking of the case, we should get to it.”

“Oh right away? I was gonna chat with Barbara.” She glanced at the redhead who shook her head and made a shooing motion before sipping her tea.

“No need, sweetheart. We can do it on the weekend.” She reassured her, she glanced at Tim with a smug look that he does not like. She’s planning something.

“Well if you’re sure…” Marinette frowned before looking at Tim. “Let’s go to the Break Room, you must be very hungry since you finished that donut so quickly.”

Tim blinked and was surprised at how right she was. The donut in his hand was gone with her offering another one. He gave a lazy smile and nodded. “Let’s solve a case.”


	3. Let's see what some of the others think

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a filler chapter for now but I promise you that next chapter we’ll have some Timari action!

Dick was doing some paperwork while occasionally glancing at the two detectives in the Break Room. From his work table, he had a clear view of the Break Room and he can see the two detectives working on the case. While he doesn’t have Barbara’s intuitive knack for spotting the small details, he can make up for it with how observant he was to emotional cues.**  
**

He notes as while Tim is showing initiative in the case as he always does. He would listen intently to whenever Marinette would speak up. The new detective seemed to be struggling when it comes to voicing her opinions. She was hesitating a lot and would often think before speaking and whenever she does, she would backtrack before getting reassured by her partner which would have her almost sag in relief but she hid it well. But not enough to escape his and Tim’s notice who would raise an eyebrow before getting back to his theorizing.

His musings were interrupted by the screech of a chair being dragged and Jason plopping on it

“What is it, Jason?”

“What? Can’t I just sit here and not have some kind of ulterior motive?”

Dick raised an eyebrow at him conveying the ‘We both know that’s bullshit.’ message because it’s true. Jason almost never does anything without getting something in return.

Jason raised his hands in mock surrender and shrugged. “Fine, I wanted a good view on the two since my desk is too far. I wanted to see how our dear Timmy can handle our new cute detective.”

Dick sighed and got back to his paperwork while Jason gave him a shit eating grin. This continued on for a few minutes before Dick broke the silence

“Hey Jason..”

“Hm?”

“What do you think of Marinette?” He glanced at Jason who furrowed his eyebrows.

“Where is this coming from?” Jason leaned forward, curious.

“I’m just curious, that’s all. As Lieutenant, I wanted to make sure everyone doesn’t have any problems with her.” He replies smoothly, pausing his work for now.

“Well so far? She’s okay.” Jason shrugs before looking back at the two detectives in the Break Room, seems like Tim was ranting and pacing back and forth with his cup of coffee while Marinette was what seems to be trying to calm him down or at least take the coffee away from him as it looked like he was gonna spill some. “Like she’s nice, helpful, and all that sugary stuff. I think she cares too much about making people feel better and what they think of her.”

“Well that checks out then.” He mumbled under his breath before sighing.

“So what’s the sudden interest with Marinette?” Jason grinned before whispering. “Thinking of naughty things, Grayson?”

“Oh fuck off, Todd. I was just worried about her. New precinct, new home. Gotham isn’t the most welcoming place to newcomers.” Dick answered, rolling his eyes.

“I can drink to that.” Jason pulls out a flask from his red leather jacket and raises it before Dick plucked it out of his hands.

“No, you will not.” Dick said as he placed the flask in his desk drawer. Jason gave him an exasperated look before looking back at the Break Room.

His eyes wandered back to the two detectives as he watched Tim finally calm down to sit back down to talk while Marinette paying attention to him earnestly. He thought back to the conversation he had with the Captain regarding Marinette.

* * *

_He knocked on the Captain’s door after making sure with Kori that he wasn’t on the phone or doing something important. Hearing a ‘Come in’, Dick peeked through with a wave of his hand._

_“Sir, you have a moment?”_

_“Of course, Grayson. Have a seat.” He gestured to the chair. “Is there a problem?”_

_“I was just worried about Marinette. Don’t you think it’s a little early for her to work a case?” Dick hesitated before steeling himself. “And I’ve noticed a few things about her behaviour and things I’ve heard from other officers.”_

_Gordon sighed deeply before folding his hands on the table. “Well yes, it is too early for her to work a case. But her recommendation is glowing, she’s one of the best detectives in Paris. I thought it would be better for her to get out on the field as a favour from an old colleague and to keep her mind off of things from what happened with her old precinct.”_

_“What do you mean, sir?”_

_“This is strictly confidential between me and the higher ups. I’m trusting you with this, so you can better understand her situation and make sure she’s alright and doing well.” Dick nodded._

_“Now from I could gather from her mentor, Wang Fu and some old friends of mine, when she left Paris, she didn’t part ways with her old precinct in good terms. Her recommendation and transfer wasn’t filled out by her Captain and instead from Fu, who is an esteemed officer in their department. If anything, no one in her precinct knew she was transferring until it was too late. There’s bad blood between her and her old precinct and they did quite a number on her.”_

_“What did they do?”_

_“Again I don’t know all the details, I’ve only heard second hand accounts from Fu and friends. But from what I heard, her Captain would often put too much pressure on her and would delegate work that should be given to the Lieutenant and Sergeants to her instead. There have been complaints from other officers of her alleged misbehaviour towards a lawyer that would frequent their precinct and was later accused of framing said lawyer to be connected to a mob that she’s been trying to take down for months. Now the evidence they have on her is circumstantial but it somehow got leaked and posted by a journalist.”_

_“Seriously? How is that precinct still standing?”_

_“The precinct is known for helping celebrities and many high profile jobs. Shutting it down would be seen as a bad move.”_

_Dick sighed. “Well with this in the light, I’m definitely gonna look out for her now. I have a feeling she’s not over whatever pressure put her through.”_

_“Thank you, Dick.”_

* * *

Dick opened up his browser and it was open at the article the journalist made about Marinette.

He discreetly nudged Jason with his foot and upon making eye contact he averted his eyes to the computer screen. He quirked an eyebrow and followed his gaze to the computer and he could see his brother’s eyes moving as he began to read while glancing back to Marinette.

After hearing what the Captain told him, he did some digging to see how bad the article made Marinette to be. It was worse than what his Captain told him. The whole article was just accusation upon accusation on the poor girl and the evidence was circumstantial at best. She only had one source and it was from the supposed victim. Nothing from the Captain or any detective that could be working on the case. It reeked of amateur journalism and click-baiting but somehow still attracted a lot of reads.

Jason leaned back in his chair with a heavy sigh that could rival his. He opened the desk drawer he placed his flask in and took a swig from it. "That had to be the trashiest thing I've read in forever. Does the writer even bother to check her shit?"

Dick shook his head and answered, "I read some of her other articles. She does not follow standard journalist and ethical procedures. If Clark or Lois were here, he might have had a heart attack at it.”

Jason gestured to the article with his flask. “Is this a reason why she left?”

Dick looked around to make sure they weren’t being listened to. “One of them. I’m trying to figure out more without asking for clarification from her yet. It seemed like too soon to ask her and it would be like opening an old wound.”

Jason nodded. “I’ll go make some calls. They could probably find out more.” He stood up and looked at Dick. “And what about you?”

“I’m gonna ask Lois and Clark to see if they know anything about the author of the article, background checks and her work ethic. I’ll also bring Barb into this, she’ll have an easier time to check up on Marinette as they are desk mates.”

“Good.” Jason headed back to his desk and began to make some calls.

Just as Dick stood up from his chair, he along with everyone heard Tim shout from the Break Room.

“That is genius, Marinette! We have a lead! Let’s go!”

With that Tim and Marinette speed walked out of the Break Room with Tim walking way too fast and Marinette surprising able to keep up with his rambling to the elevator.

Dick smiled before he shook his head and headed to Barbara who was in the kitchen.

“Hey Barbs we need to talk.”


	4. A little Timari to spice up the day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a little longer than I expected. I hope this lives up to the wait. As I promised some Timari action.

Marinette drummed her fingers on her lap as she watched the scenery pass. Right now, she and Tim were following a lead to their B&E case. Tim was driving as they both agreed having the new girl in Gotham drive to their destination would be a perfect opportunity to get lost and time is of the essence.

So now here she was. In a car. Alone. With Tim. As she awkwardly stayed silent. Her mind wandered to how they got here in the first place

* * *

For the past two days, Marinette and Tim have been working on the case that were assigned to them. She has been making sure to show that she’s a valuable asset to the precinct and not a burden. She has to. She doesn’t want to transfer to a precinct far away from her parents and she doesn’t want to disappoint Fu as he recommended her to this precinct.

But right now, the robber was good and have them both in a bit of a stump. Marinette sighed deeply as she took a sip of her tea and walked back to the map of Gotham that was pinned to the board. She managed to calm Tim down from his conspiracy rant about aliens and the government. He drank a lot of coffee so she let it slide.

“Ugh… What could I have missed? They have to be connected, I know they are. I just need to find the link.” She muttered to herself as she squinted her eyes at the map where they circled where the robbers had burglarized.

“You think they're connected?” Tim asked, taking a sip of his coffee before he looked up from his notes to Marinette, who almost dropped her tea once she realized that Tim heard her. She looked back at him and swore that his gaze was almost as if he was analyzing her, trying to figure out what she’s capable of.

“W..Well I uhh.. I think they could be? I mean the robberies all had the same MO with the victims out of the house so that would mean the suspect had information of when they're going to leave and when they’re coming back or the robber could be lucky.” She discussed her theory, nervously and fidgeting in place before adding in.”I mean it’s a theory for now! I mean it could be all circumstantial after all!”

“A plausible theory and true it could all be circumstantial…” Tim nodded his head before taking a longer sip of his coffee. He’s been drinking all morning and Marinette is scared for his health. She’s not sure if he even ATE anything other than coffee. But she shouldn’t complain, she’s just as bad with her sweets and tea.

He was right. At the surface, it looked like a simple case B&E and burglary from some random schmucks with the victims getting getting robbed of their valuables, so far no one has any idea what they looked like. Most of the robberies were sporadic and the items that were stolen were weird antiques that they picked up. But Marinette knows there’s something connecting them together.

Wait…

Marinette once again almost dropped her tea as she dashed to the table to rummage through the files. They were scattered all over the table and not organized at all. “Uhhh… Tim…” He looked up from whatever he was reading. “Tell me, what were the items that were stolen again?”

Tim tossed the folder he was holding and picked up another one before reading out. “Vases, jewelries, paintings, and cash.”

Marinette rushed back to the map with thumbtacks as she waved for Tim “Now where did the victims say they got them from? And where do they all live?”

Tim widened his eyes and followed Marinette to the map and directed her. “In an auction at Midtown. The victims all live in Midtown.” He squinted at the area and snapped his fingers. “This is a well known area for drugs.”

“If all the victims had gotten them from the same auction in an area known for drugs…” She trailed off looking at Tim nervously unsure if she should go on. Tim nodded and looking at her quite interested. She coughed and hyped herself up.

_ ‘You can do this, Marinette. This isn’t new, you’re a good cop! Time to show them what you’re capable of!’  _ She told herself, determined. She paced back and forth in front of Tim in a fashion similar to him just moments ago.

“Then it’s possible that the one who organized it would have the information about them and possibly be the one who took stole them back. Maybe they didn’t realize the value or it was like a bait and switch and they gave the items that had drugs in and tried to steal them back.” She theorised, her hand under her chin. She paused to look back at Tim who was impressed.

He stood up to look at the map with Marinette by his side, contemplating her theory before he grinned at her with a fist bump ready. She happily fist bumped him back. “That is genius, Marinette! We have a lead, let’s go!”

With that Tim and Marinette speed walked out of the Break Room. He was rambling again but as someone who rambles almost as much as him, she can understand and catch up to him easily.

* * *

A rumble snapped her out of her musings and she felt herself blush in embarrassment as she realized it came from her own stomach. Did she eat breakfast today? Well she drank some tea and a croissant and….. Okay so she didn’t eat a lot for breakfast.

She dug through her bag and thank you Maman for always packing her food even with her rushing around and trying not to be late. Though she wasn’t as bad as when she was in Collège. She pulled out a box of macaroons and began to eat one and handed one to Tim.

He looked at the pastry then to Marinette’s earnest puppy dog eyes and found himself eating the macaroon. God damn it, he couldn’t say no when she looked at him like that and besides he hasn't eaten breakfast and they were going to a lead so some food would be helpful.

“You always bring snacks with you huh?” He said glancing at her as she giggled behind her hand.

“Well can you blame me? My parents are bakers so free food!” She answered as she bit into another macaroon. “Would you ever say no to free food?”

“If Jason or Kori were the ones who cooked it then yes, I will turn down free food.” Tim replied with a grin. He will never forget the times Jason would try to cook and ending up burning something. Like the time he burned pasta or the time he somehow burned water. Like how do you burn water???? That doesn’t make sense????

They fell into a comfortable silence but Marinette began to feel awkward.

_ ‘This is your chance Marinette! Go and make some small talk! You’ve only ever discussed the case with him, this is your chance to make a friend in your new precinct!’ _ She can hear a tiny voice in her head try to encourage her.

“So!” She started gaining Tim’s attention. “How are… Things?” What do Americans like? Sports? Yeah. They like sports. At least from what she could gather. “How’s those soccer… stuff?”

Tim glanced at her, bewildered at her attempt of small talk.

“Things are…. Good?” he tried to answer without letting it become too awkward. “Not much for sports though.”

“Oh… That’s nice.”

As she scrambled for things that she could use to get to know him, apparently there was a god in the heavens as Jagged Stone began to play on the radio. She noticed him perk up and turn up the volume.

“You like Jagged Stone?” She asked, thanking the force above for this topic

“Yeah, who doesn’t? His music is like the best there is.” He answered as he bobbed his head to the music.

“I met him through a case actually, around my second year in the force.” His head snapped to her and she swore she could see stars in his eyes.

“Really? You are so lucky! When he was here at Gotham, I had a case the day oh his concert and I couldn’t go!” He gave her an excited look, visibly bouncing in his seat. “What was the case about? What was he like?”

“He was certainly as extra as he projects himself to be.” She replied with a giggle. She treasured that case as it introduced her to one of her idols and it was the first case she did by herself  Without any of his interference that boosted her career as a detective. “The case was about a stalker fan of his. Like a super crazed stalker fan that wanted Jagged-senpai to notice him.”

“Oof.”

“Right? So this fan was able to get into his hotel room and steal his prized guitar that was needed for the show and tried to ransom it!” She remembered that case very vividly. The look of shock when his guitar was stolen and just a week before his show too!

“No way! Really?!”

“Thankfully he wasn’t there at the time of the Break In but the place was totally ransacked and I was the only detective free to take up the case. Jagged is really friendly and quite down-to-earth underneath all of his Extraness. I was able to track down the superfan, get his guitar back, and helped him file a restraining order.” She finished the tale with a grin.

“Oh thank god,”

“And then!” She teased a continuation.

“What? There’s more?” He spoke out a bit in disbelief. “Didn’t the fan not learn his lesson?”

“Kidding! Kidding! The show was saved and the fan hasn’t caused many problems last I heard.” She giggled at his shocked expression. She decided to take a gamble and asked. “What about you? Have you had any chance to help any celebrities?”

“Well as a matter of fact... “ He gave her a mischievous grin. “I did have a case for the one and only Clara Nightingale.”

“Shut up! You did?” She almost squealed. She loves Clara! Almost as much as she loves Jagged!

Tim’s grin widened as he stuck his tongue out. “I can’t tell the story if you tell me to shut up~”

They continued the whole car ride trading their old case stories  Being careful not to talk about any case that involved them and joking around. Marinette felt so… happy, like the kind of happy where she felt like floating. She hasn’t felt that in a long time. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt like this. It wasn’t until Tim slowly pulled the car to a stop did she realize how much did they spend the car ride talking.

Marinette took a deep breath and opened the folder they were able to gather about the organizers of the auction. They were a married couple and they organized the whole thing from location to guests to the items they were auctioning off. They had a whole list of the stolen items, they just need the evidence to prove their crime. No pressure.

“Okay let’s review on the plan.” Tim began and he had her full attention. “I’ll go in first and distract them with questions and you’ll get in after me and look around. We need to find the evidence that they did it.”

Marinette nodded as she curled her hands into fists to hide the fact that they;re shaking. She can do this, she’s done this before and she can do it again. This is just like stage fright, just deep breaths and calm down. She turned to Tim who looks almost worried for her but she reassures him with a grin.

“Let’s give them a show.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to split up the chapter when I realized I might be taking too long to update.


	5. First arrest together with Tim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so so sorry for this chapter being posted very very late! School decided to try and kill me with requirements and final exams. But now here we are!

The organizers of the auction were owners of an antique shop in Midtown. From the outside, it looks rather spooky. With its old fashioned gothic architecture and creepy designs. These people must love Gothic designs.

Marinette entered the antique shop, making herself look like a wayward customer. She briefly glanced towards Tim who was questioning an employee and he gave a subtle nod and gazed over to some shelves near a door marked ‘Employees Only’.

She gave a brief nod and began to wander the shop, slowly making her way to the door without alerting the employee at the cash register as Tim distracted them for good measure.

“I’m telling you, sir, we don’t have your antique tea set.” The poor employee tried to reassure Tim who was playing a disgruntled customer just like she suggested.

“Well, I’m telling you that you did! My brother sold it here and I want it back! It was passed down for generations and its the only set that keeps my coffee warm the way I like it!” Tim ranted on with a scowl as slammed his hand on the counter. She still can’t believe he agreed to a last-minute change, she was worried that he’d just laugh at her face for suggesting a silly role. But he’s pulling it off well, his tired and sunken eyes help bring it home too.

She looked back to see the employee still arguing with Tim as she made her way to the door. Once in front, she quietly opened the door and sneaked in with no trouble, closing it the door behind her.

She looked around the room, seems this was the storage area. Perfect place to hide stolen goods. She’s on a time limit before the employee tries to kick Tim out of the store.

She quickly walked around the storage unit, looking for any of the stolen goods.

“Ugh, where are they? I know they must be here somewhere.” She whispered, frustrated as she whipped her head around. Jeez, this place was a mess, how in holy hell did they ever find what they need here?

Thankfully luck was on her side for once and her eyes caught notice one of the covered antiques. She inspected the area around it and the dust pattern doesn’t match its neighbours. Being extra careful, she uncovered it to recognize one of the stolen antiques. It didn’t take long for her to find the other stolen goods

“Good work, Mari. This should show that you aren’t a complete screw-up.” She whispered to herself. She covered the stolen goods to not arouse suspicion if they check the back again.

She was feeling quite good until she didn’t notice the broken chair leg on the floor on the ground and made her tripped.

“Seriously? Who would buy a chair leg?” She got up, dusting herself off about to continue her way to the exit when another door opened. Thinking quickly, she hid under a tarp of the stolen goods and made herself smaller, trying to stay still as to not draw attention.

She heard footsteps pass by, thinking quickly. She sent a quick message to Tim to alert him of her predicament.

“Found the goods but got compromised.”

Just as she pressed ‘Send’ the tarp that was hiding her was ripped away and she was face to face with a man in his mid-forties.

“Who the hell are you?!” He demanded

“Oh uh…. I’m… the inspector!" She jumped up and thinking quickly. "The inspector of the Bureau of Antiques! We make surprise visits to see if stores like yours are up to code!"

That seemed to throw off the owner for a bit before he was looking at her belt to see that she forgot to put her badge in. <strike>Marinette you dummy!</strike> Then his eyes wandered to the stolen goods that she was hiding from did he connect the dots and he pulled out a Glock. “You ain’t no inspector! You’re a cop!”

He reached for a walkie-talkie and shouted “The intruder’s a cop! Get in here! Before she ruins things!”

Marinette raised her hands in a calming gesture and spoke evenly. “Sir, I need you to put down the gun. We can sort this out witho-”

“No! I’m not going back to jail! I-I needed them back! H-He said he would kill my wife if I didn’t take them!” He began to shout as he kept the gun pointed at her.

She held her breath and thankfully he didn’t pull the trigger. She has to calm him down, he might pull the trigger out of panic if he gets to become more hysterical.

“Sir please, I understand. We can talk this out. There’s no need for the gun.” She replied, trying to seem like she won’t hurt him while her eyes scanned the room to see if there was any detachable blunt object to use to knock him out. “We can sort this out and keep your wife sa-”

But it doesn’t work as he continued on, “No, No! You think you can keep my wife safe from them! You’re all fucking idiots! No… The only way to keep her safe is to make sure you don’t ruin this!”

He pointed the gun at her with a resolute expression and Mari steeled herself as a plan formed in her head.

And the door was thrown open!

* * *

While in the front of the store, Tim was still arguing with the employee when they were interrupted by the walkie talkie the employee had. The employee moved a bit aways and Tim strained to hear what they were saying but caught the words. ‘Heard something… Backroom”

Shit. They’re gonna find Marinette.

Just as that happened, his phone dinged with a message. The moment he read it, he cursed under his breath. It looks like he needs to get in there before this gets out of hand.

The employee came back and looked annoyed. “Sir, I’m gonna need you to leave. Look we’ll call you when we find that tea set okay? Just write down your information stuff right here.” Before handing him a pen and a piece of paper.

Tim was in the midst of writing down when he heard the employee’s walkie talkie with the owner shouting. “The intruder’s a cop! Get in here! Before she ruins things!”

Dammit.

The employee cursed and looked back to Tim with an annoyed look. “Sir, I need you to hurry up and leave.” Before he began to walk to the backroom.

_ ‘Not gonna happen.’ _ Tim thought as he ran up to the employee and he wrapped his arms around the neck in an attempt to knock him out so he could help Mari but he had underestimated the guy as he hit Tim with the back of his head.

Tim tried to keep his grip on him he stumbled back and held his nose as the employee coughed and turned around to look at Tim accusingly with one hand and held the walkie talkie on the other hand. Before he could even think of saying anything to his boss, Tim rushed at him with a right hook to the gut followed by another to his face, knocking him out.

The guy crumpled to the floor but he had no time as he ran to the back room door, unholstered his gun and kicked the door open. “GCPD! Put your hands in the air!”

* * *

The door flew open with Tim at the door, shouting “GCPD! Put your hands in the air!”

Marinette didn’t waste any time, taking advantage of the owner’s momentary surprise. She swiped the chair leg that made her trip and knocked the gun out of his hand with it and hit across the face with it, knocking him out cold.

The two stood there in silence as Marinette dropped the chair leg and looked to Tim who was very surprised at how quickly she took the owner down. She turned to Tim and gave him a smile. “Come on, I’ll show you the stolen stuff.”

In an hour or so, the two detectives called dispatch to bring in the antique owner and employee for questioning and to retrieve the stolen goods.

Tim walked up to Mari who was leaning on the police car, looking quite pensive and staring off into space. He patted her on the shoulder which seemed to snap her out of her musings.

“Hey, Tim! Thanks for coming by and distracting him earlier.” Marinette said with a grateful grin.

Tim smiled back and nodded. “No problem. I’m just glad we finished this quickly.” He patted her on the head and pursed his lips before slapping his hands away and he chuckled. “You did well, rookie.”

She pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. “Excuse me? Rookie? I’ll have you know, I’m no rookie!”

“Well you are our newest detective, so rookie it is!” He teased her and she responded by looking away with her head held high. He shook his head and patted her on the shoulder. “I mean it, by the way. You did well.”

That caught the bluenette’s attention and she began to ramble. “R-Really? Cause I thought it could have ended really badly since I got caught and that blew your cover and I should have minded my surroundings better and not be such a klutz and-”

Tim placed both his hands on her shoulders and making her face him and she stopped her rambling. “Hey hey hey hey, don’t focus on the what-ifs. Sure you messed up, but everyone does. What matters is, you were able to work with what you got and you were able to get the perp.” He smiled down at her. “And don’t be afraid to ask for help okay? You’re part of the 9-9 precinct now and that means we help each other in any way we can.”

Marinette was a bit stunned at his declaration and she smiled up at him softly. “Thanks, Tim.” A precinct that actually helps each other. It’s... been a while since she had that.

Tim noticed how close the two were and his hands were off her shoulders as he coughed awkwardly and he gestured to the car. “Come on, let’s get out here, head back and finish the paperwork for this. It’s Friday, that means drinking night with the gang and I’m sure Dick and Jason will be dragging you to join us.”

“Sounds like a fun night.” She said going in the car. A night off with the precinct sounds like what she needs.

“Trust me, you’ll be regretting those words when Jason dares you to a shot contest,” Tim replied with a groan as he started the car.

“Now that sounds like a challenge.”


End file.
